The Mission
by Queen Myrrh
Summary: Set after Eren's trial, this story follows Eren and Corporal Levi as they are sent into titan territory by Generalissimo Dallis Zacklay on what seems like a fool's errand. Warning... Mature language and themes.
1. Chapter 1

The man's breath misted the smudged surface of the crystalline drinking glass, the contents of which sloshed around as he tilted it to wipe away the bartender's fingerprints. The cloth rustled as he scrubbed vigorously, in the span of a second the drink slipped from his hands and went flying.

**_CRASH_**

_Shit._

"Hey, you'd better pay for that, it was expensive you piece of-" The bartender's words died on his lips as the hooded man looked up, the light exposing his face.

"Of course." The man answered bluntly.

"I'm so sorry, it was a mistake. I didn't recognize you, Corporal Levi." Regaining his composure, the bartender hastily apologized.

Levi slapped a coin onto the pitted counter and slid off the stool. Turning around, the corporal walked out of the cheap bar without a hint of intoxication in his step.

Levi frequented bars often, not to drown his sorrows or despair at humanity's seemingly inevitable extinction though. He liked to think of himself as a bit of an optimist and didn't allow himself to fall prey to such simple-minded thinking. The truth was that the famed corporal had nothing better to do. When not off on a mission, the corporal would train, clean, or drink. He was most definitely not a drunk, he was even rumored to be humanity's last hope due to his skills.

Levi honestly found life quite boring without the thrill of missions to aid him. People who didn't know him very well thought that because he had fame and power, Levi was a womanizer. No, a simple-minded woman who allowed herself to fall for him would not do, even if it was only a physical relationship.

The man tended to isolate himself and if it were not for Hanji Zoe then he probably would have gone insane. Levi did not agree with Hanji when she said this, but that didn't seem to sway her firm belief.

As Levi began walking back to his quarters he felt a chill run down his spine in the deserted and moonlit alleyway. Any normal man would have shrugged it off, but this was no ordinary man, this was Lance Corporal Levi.

Levi could hear tentative footsteps behind him.

_Ah, attempting to be stealthy and failing._ Levi could barely suppress a chuckle. His soon to be assailant would find out shortly that the slight man he chose to target was far out of his league.

Levi heard the rustle of fabric and then the hiss of a blade being drawn out of a scabbard.

_One..._

_Two..._

_Three..._

**_NOW!_**

Levi whipped around so fast the man behind him didn't even have time to cry out. Levi grabbed the assailants... _slender..._ wrist and sent the dagger flying into the shadows. The would-be assailant followed suit after a kick to the chest.

Without giving the man a moment to recover, Levi was atop the criminal and was mercilessly pounding his shadow covered face.

Cries tumbled out of the young man's covered mouth, Levi continued until the cries stopped.

Nothing had registered in his mind after the kick which sent the assailant sprawling, not even the fact that he recognized those green eyes.

_Holy shit_

Levi felt sick.

"Kid?"

"You... Are... A... Bastard." Eren choked out.

"Shut up, you'll be fine." Levi said as he slung Eren onto his shoulder without so much as a protest from the weakened boy.

_Damn, guess I got him good, but it is his own damned fault for sneaking up on me. And what was with the knife?_

Levi searched around the moonlit area and found a metal tube; he knelt down and picked it up in the hand that wasn't supporting the unconscious Eren. Levi slipped the tube into his jacket pocket and began to briskly walk home.

Eren opened his eyes to find himself in a foreign room, his nose identified the scent of pine and soap. Swinging his legs off the bed, Eren's muscles immediately protested.

_What happened...?_

Ignoring the continued protest of his body Eren padded over to a small sink with a bowl of water next to it. Splashing his face with the cold water Eren managed to wake up completely.

"You're finally up." Said a voice behind him.

_Eh?_

Eren spun around to find himself face to face with a mildly surprised Corporal Levi and remembered the events of the previous night.

_Why's he surprised?_

"You attacked me!" Eren protested.

"You were the one who snuck up on me, brat." Levi responded coolly.

"That doesn't mean you have to go attacking me..." Eren grumbled moodily which only earned a shrug from the older man in front of him.

After a few seconds, Levi turned away and went to retrieve something from the pocket of his jacket which was slung across the back of a chair.

"Now, explain what this is." The older man drew out the metallic tube which he had picked up the previous night.

"That is a message from Generalissimo Dallis Zacklay himself."

Eren could have sworn he saw a brief and fleeting expression of worry on the Corporal's face. Levi quickly popped the cap of the tube and removed the scroll from within and began reading the letter, his face emotionless.

_"Corporal Levi Rivaille and Eren Jaeger,_

_I trust that both of you understand that the court's ruling on Eren's life was only swayed by Levi's ability to control him, even though "control" to some people means possessing the ability to, excuse my bluntness, __**put him down like a dog.**_

_The purpose of this letter was simply to test the both of you further; you are to convince me that my decision on sparing Eren's life was not a mistake. This test that I have mentioned involves the both of you venturing into Wall Maria which is currently overrun with titans, you are to travel to the outer wall, Eren's old village to be precise, and retrieve something for me. This mission will force the both of you to work together to survive since it will only be the two of you traversing into Wall Maria. You are to set out after reading this letter, do not inform anyone and be discreet. Your lives depend on the success of this mission._

_I wish you the best of luck,_

_Dallis Zacklay"_

Levi quickly pulled on his maneuver gear which was laid on the ground next to the chair hosting his jacket. Snaps could be heard as he drew the straps tight and buckled them.

"Are you just going to do as he says without so much as questioning him?" Eren asked with a hint of anger creeping into his voice.

"Yes, that is the duty of a soldier. They are taught to obey their commanding officer; I can tell you skipped that lesson." Levi said this with a hint of sarcasm while sliding his jacket onto his shoulders.

"But he never even specified what he wanted us to get!" Eren replied in an exasperated tone.

"I'm sure we'll know what it is when we get there."

Eren felt dread at the thought of seeing his old hometown overrun with titans... But he also had to go to the basement to discover his father's secrets.

"But what about my face? Thanks to you I probably _look_ like a monster... Rather than just having the ability to turn into one." Eren bitterly spat out these words like they were rotten.

"Your bruises and cuts healed as you slept, you _regenerated_." Levi opened a drawer and pulled out a small handheld mirror. He offered the mirror to Eren and watched the surprise register on his face as his fears were dispelled. Eren's face looked smooth other than the too-light facial hair on his chin which still labeled him as a boy.

Eren let out a sigh as he looked at Levi then nodded firmly.

"I need to speak to Mikasa before our departure and visit my old home."


	2. Chapter 2

**A wild chapter has appeared! **

**Okay, I know.. It's been a while (2 weeks xD) but hear me out! And if you're too impatient then well.. You can continue down and get to the best part of the chapter.. The actual story! xD**

**Well, I was working on this chapter and then a page or two in I was inspired to write another fanfiction and then I started a second chapter for that fanfiction as well.. **

**I also went on a little vacation and had 4 hours to write.. But I wasn't exactly happy with having someone sleeping on my lap during the car ride. **

**I promised myself I would get this chapter out on my birthday (only day off), that day I ended up going to a store that sells fabric and.. I kind of bought this dark forest-y colored fabric.. That resembles a certain _Survey Corps cloak._ In the end, I spent all of my birthday sewing, fooling around on the interwebs and shopping (yay for spending all of your hard earned money! (Another yay for distractions!)) **

**All in all, the only way to summarize this Author's note (or whatever) is that I enjoy breaking promises to myself and have the attention span of a- ooh! Looooook! Confetti on the ground! **

**This is getting kind of long but I swear this part is funny; during my party we bought a piñata and drew Bean's face on some paper and taped it on. Lets just say things didn't end too well for Bean in real life either (he's currently a pile of ashes). And I also made a spin off of pin the tail on the donkey. It's called "pin the human in the titan's mouth." Maybe this wasn't funny to anyone else except me and my friends... Oh well! Enjoy the chapter, I enjoyed it ;-; I-it's so.. _Happy_.. And so not painful..**

**I don't own Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin), I just enjoy making my fan girl fantasies come true 8D**

Eren was given permission to speak to Mikasa, but he was commanded not to discuss the purpose of the mission. Mikasa always worried too much about Eren, but it was simply his own opinion and observation.

As the green-eyed soldier made eye contact with Mikasa, he realized convincing his stubborn and overprotective adoptive sister would be a challenge. After finishing the telling of the detail-lacking story, and before Mikasa had a chance to say anything, Eren pleaded for her not to try to stop him.

"You think that I can't protect myself, even with my abilities," Eren saw Mikasa open her mouth and realized he had to change his tactic.

"Levi will be with me."

Mikasa folded her arms and after a few tension riddled moments, her resolve seemed to crumble. She looked up at Eren, sighing and offering a small, sad smile.

As the two of them had embraced, Mikasa had whispered a sorrow laden plea into Eren's ear.

_"Please, come back safely."_

Levi and Eren had set out on their mission to the outer edge of Wall Maria, they had taken their gear, two horses, and a few packs filled to the brim with essentials. The horses they had taken were both sporting glossy coats, Eren's horse was a deep chestnut color with a black mane and tail while Levi's was pitch black. As they prepared, Levi had even consulted Eren on the path they were to take; although this caught the boy off guard they soon came to the conclusion that they would follow a stream. The stream they decided to follow was obscure and not near many abandoned towns which seemed to be where the bulk of the titans had gathered.

Before the two soldiers set off they discussed how they would make use of the titans' inactivity during the night. Levi suggested that they should sleep, as well as travel, through the night.

The two men would have nearly 12 hours of darkness and would spend a third of it sleeping and the rest of it traveling. They would also be able to lash their horses together and take turns sleeping throughout the day, the only downside to this was that one of them would always have to be awake to keep watch for titans.

Levi and Eren had decided to explore the area in hopes of finding anything interesting, their attempt was futile and upon realizing this the two men decided to head back. Eren grunted as he felt the heavily loaded bag land onto his back, although they had their horses they opted to carry their packs when not riding. The horses had grown tired from the hours of hard riding and they were grazing by the river.

Their packs consisted of several canisters of replacement gas as well as victuals. Levi had pulled some strings and they ended up with bread, cheese, dried fruit, nuts, and the holy grail of the food market: jerky.

Eren couldn't help but let his mouth water, the thought of the jerky drove him to Sasha-like actions and he found himself tearing into a piece of the tender meat.

"Tch," Levi looked at him and commented crossly, "there's no more food for you if you go through your supplies in a day."

"You said yourself that we could probably find some vegetables from the old farmlands." Eren pointed out.

This elicited a glare from the older man and he continued walking back to the river with the boy in tow. Upon reaching the now refreshed horses, the two soldiers began to simultaneously saddle them and get ready to continue riding

It had been a whole day since Eren and Levi had set out from Wall Rose, they had yet to come across a single titan. The soldiers had chosen to stray from once popular roads in pursuit of unknown and overgrown paths. Throughout the course of the first day, they hadn't even seen a small 4 meter class, although both of the men were grateful for the lack of titans, Levi couldn't shake the feeling that trouble was brewing.

The landscape they had traversed for the past few hours hadn't changed very much, other than the stream it was filled with only grass and weeds. The wild grass was tall enough that it brushed against the soldiers' boots while they rode, the plant left these tiny, sticky balls on their boots and the sides of the horse. The only sounds that filled the air were of Eren complaining over "his sore ass" and the burbling of the stream. Levi realized that the boy riding beside him was unusually quiet; he then noted that Eren seemed distressed over the residue left by the plants; he was trying to pick them off of himself and his horse while continuing to ride.

"What are these things?!" Eren uttered in despair as he realized his attempts of ridding himself of the seeds were futile.

"They're the seeds of the grass we're walking through; some soldiers of the Survey Corps saw these odd birds with black heads and brown feathers were eating them," Levi looked at Eren to see the confusion on his face and then continued, "they included it in their report and found out that these _birds_ were actually called goose and enjoyed eating this grass. So, they called it goosegrass."

Levi was not fond of goosegrass and he itched to resort to the same tactics as the boy riding beside him, but had to control himself. The corporal was also grateful to finally be back out in the open, he had missed the freedom it offered and he itched with the urge to fight.

_I'll just wait until the grass is gone and then I can clean... Maybe we'll also see a titan._

The thought of cleaning and fighting comforted the disgruntled Corporal; Levi was so lost in thought that he didn't notice that Eren had spurred his horse into a trot and had ridden ahead.

"Oi, where do you think you're going?" Levi demanded.

Eren slowed his horse and turned his head as he called back, "I'm riding ahead to see what the forest is like."

_Eh, forest?_

The silver-eyed man had been so carried away with his thoughts that he had failed to notice the trees looming in the distance. He then also spurred his horse into a trot to catch up with the boy.

Levi was preparing to scold the boy, but the words died on his lips when he looked up. The forest wasn't filled with only trees; there were titans visible through the foliage.

"Grab the horses and go ahead while I cover you," Levi's voice cracked out, dripping authority.

What Eren said next, Levi had never imagined he would hear from anyone. Levi was used to being obeyed, he might lack in stature but he had proved himself in combat time and time again, he simply was not _used_ to disobedient soldiers.

"No," Eren's answer was short and simple, but the effect was grand.

"There are too many to kill," Levi said as his patience grew strained.

Eren had a stubborn look on his face and Levi's patience had run out, he gave in.

"Fine, I'll go ahead."

And with that, Levi kicked his horse into a gallop; he waited until he was a couple dozen yards from the trees then drew his swords and pressed the left trigger.

The hook whistled through the air and landed in a tree with a crack. Bark flew and the cord hissed as it rewound and launched Levi into the air. Levi could feel the wind ruffle his hair and he shifted his weight as he clicked the right trigger.

_Whoosh._

_Hiss._

_Crack!_

Levi braced against a tree then launched off of it, simultaneously pressing both triggers as he swung around. He had his eyes set on an 8 meter class and he quickly cut through the tough fibers of its neck. The titan's knees crumpled and it fell to the ground as if it was a puppet and just had it's strings cut.

Levi felt at home in battle, he had never suffered from anxiety or nerves unlike his unlucky, and dead, former comrades. Levi was probably still only alive because of his good instincts, or just pure embraced the adrenaline which shot through his veins like lightning and launched into the air in a free fall. Levi flipped then pressed another trigger, his fall was cut short and he took down two more titans in a graceful arc.

Levi allowed himself a grim smile as he launched his grapples into the eyes of a 12 meter class; he swung over its head and slashed into its neck. He was only warming up and was already enjoying himself.

Eren waited as Levi rode ahead of him then launched himself into the air.

Eren soon followed and after launching himself into the air, he targeted an 8 meter class. The titan was standing in the middle of a very ideal spot, the trees around it had thick trunks that more than able to handle the hooks that Eren launched into them.

The young man shot hook after hook as he surged closer and closer to his target. He was finally close enough to actually pass by it now and that Eren did. Eren shot his right grapple and as he swung down, his swords slashed into its neck. Originally, Eren was worried that he wouldn't be able to slice deep enough, but after endless hours of training he slowly improved further.

After the kill, Eren perched on a tree, eyeing Levi who seemed more than capable of handling titan after titan. Eren couldn't help but feel in awe of the older man as he swung around. His expression, when visible, never changed. He seemed as calm as ever, but there was a certain look in his eye which could only be described as bloodlust.

Continuing to watch the graceful corporal as he maneuvered around and went through titan after titan, Eren began to kindle a newfound respect for the short tempered man.

Eren couldn't help but feel envious of the skills displays by Levi, just as he was thinking this he spotted a titan lumbering away from him. Eren immediately shot forward to dispatch it, as swung around he saw its face and was paralyzed. This titan was quite ordinary, but the resemblance to the titan which had killed and eaten Eren's mother was eerily accurate. The same leering grin was plastered on its face and it sported the same slow, awkward gait which was common amongst titans.

Eren struggled to control his disobedient limbs, he pulled the triggers for his grapples and tried to move in for the kill.

_Whoosh._

_Hiss. _

_Am I floating? _

Eren had been prepared for the gear to propel him forward, instead, he fell backwards and down. The green-eyed boy barely even noticed he was falling, he was too busy being haunted by his past.

Levi began to feel the toll of the maneuver gear as he killed off the last titan in sight. The soldier felt surprisingly smug as he realized they had demolished over a dozen titans singlehandedly.

Remembering his companion, Levi realized he was nowhere in sight. Annoyance flashed across his face and he began spanning the side of a tall tree, hoping to catch sight of the fickle boy.

_Whoosh._

_Hiss. _

_Crack._

_Whoosh._

_Hiss. _

_Crack. _

The only sound echoing through the quiet forest was that of his maneuver gear and the sound actually comforted Levi as he continued to scale the tree. Levi then reached a point where he didn't dare continue, the tree was starting to become thinner and he didn't want to bother with an accidental fall. Levi began scanning the ground for a sign of his fellow soldier.

A few minutes later, Levi caught a glimpse of white among the green and earthy tones of the woods and he was off in an instant. As Levi drew closer to the boy, he realized that Eren was laying on the ground and his limbs were bent at impossible angles. Levi felt like he was about to be sick as he saw red covering the boys body.

_Shit... No..._

Levi crashed into the ground at a run, he was at Eren's side checking for a pulse on his neck. Feeling the slight flutter of a pulse under the boy's jaw, he was relieved and filled with more worry at the same time. He lifted one of Eren's eyelids but was only met with the whites of his eyes: he was out cold. Eren's face and neck were scratched with deep gouges that seemed to be healing, but his arms and legs seemed to be broken or at least fractured.

_I have to get him out of here._

Levi resigned himself to lifting Eren in his arms, one hand supported his back and the other was under his knees. As Levi picked him up, Eren gave a groan of pain which did little to quell the older man's worry.

Leaves crunched under Levi's boots as he carried Eren back to where their horses were waiting for them. Reaching his own horse, he gently laid Eren in the grass and reached into the bags attached to his horse's saddle, pulling out two cloaks.

_I'll check for injuries once we get away from here, maybe there's more titans..._

Levi tied the cloaks to the sides of both horses in order to create a makeshift hammock. After his slim fingers tied the knots, he picked up Eren once more and laid him on the bed made of cloth.

The ride through the forest was quiet except for the crunching of leaves underfoot and the sound of water rushing in the distance. Every few minutes the disgruntled man would turn to check on the unconscious boy, but found his condition unchanging.

As the sun began to set Levi came upon a small clearing that was filled with lush grass and surrounded by tall trees which cast even longer shadows. Levi unmounted his horse and spread out a sleeping bag to lay Eren on top of. Eren let out a small sound of protest as his wounded body was jostled.

Levi began removing first the boys boots, then he moved onto his maneuver gear. His fingers were nimble and made quick work of the buckles, although Levi tried to be gentle groans of pain were audibly falling out of the boys mouth.

Soon, Eren was left in only his boxer shorts and Levi began searching for the breaks or fractures in his limbs.

After Levi tested sections of his arms and legs, two spots were met with screams. There were two trouble spots; a fracture below his right knee and the other was a break below his right elbow on his radius.

After an hour more of inspecting his limbs, Levi realized with growing dread that both of the bones had mended to a certain degree. Eren's leg was well on it's way to recovery, but the same couldn't be said about his arm. Eren's arm had set wrong, it would have to be reset which meant Levi had to rebreak it.

Levi felt bile rising in his throat, he gagged and began mentally preparing himself for the task before him.

Eren felt _confused_, he didn't know where he was nor what he had been doing. The sensation was similar to when he had woken up in a cell beneath the court house, except now he wasn't met with glares.

Eren blinked against the onslaught of light from the fire and tried to prop himself up but found his arm pinned down by a hand.

"L-Levi?" Eren's voice was hoarse and came out more like a raspy whisper than anything.

Levi met Eren's gaze with his own blank one.

"It'll be fine," murmured Levi absently, "just close your eyes, it'll be real quick."

The pressure on Eren's arm increased. He could feel something digging into it and upon turning his head he realized his arm was propped up on Levi's knee. Levi had both hands clenched around his arm and was staring intently.

Eren felt lightheaded as he began to lose consciousness, but before he did he felt Levi tighten his grip further and lift his arm up then bring it crashing down. There was a sickening crack that came from the right of Eren. The pain that followed wasn't minor, it was similar to a tsunami with the way it overpowered his senses.

The last thing Eren's mind registered before he blacked out was a scream of pain. The scream was primal and raw as it tore out of the boy's mouth.

Levi straightened up, preparing to wipe his mouth clean with a handkerchief. As soon as he did, Levi's mind flashed back to the sickening crunch of Eren's arm and his scream of agony. Levi was doubled over once more as he retched for a second time. Levi came up gagging and coughing.

Regaining his composure partially, Levi slowly made his way to his bags where he dug out a small towel and bar of soap. Levi offered a glance to the unconscious Eren, both limbs on his right side were bound by splints and he seemed to be doing fine. Levi unzipped the sleeping bag Eren was laying on and slid him inside to protect his weak body from the slightly chilly weather.

Shakily, Levi walked the 30 yards through the trees to the edge of the stream and began stripping off his gear. Goosebumps rose on his pale arms as the wind blew against them, he gripped the items he held tighter to keep himself anchored.

If one were to come up behind him, they would notice the lean and hard muscles of his back highlighted by the moonlight as he set down his towel and soap. They would also notice his straight and jetblack hair shining like silk. The muscles would bunch in his back as he prepared to dive into the stream and then he was off. The moonlight would shine on the dark-haired man's sculpted buttocks as he swan-dived downwards and into the stream, landing with barely a splash.

Levi's body was assaulted with the chilling cold of the water as he dove in, but he himself welcomed it as a distraction. With easy strokes, Levi propelled himself forward then broke the surface of the water, gasping for air.

The silver-eyed man then sucked in a mouthful of the cool water, he gargled the cold liquid and spat it out in an attempt to get rid of the taste of bile in his mouth. Scowling to himself, Levi swam back to shallower water. Resting against a rock, Levi began the task of cleaning his sweat, blood, and mud encrusted body. The blood of course was not his, but thinking of who's it was overwhelmed him with the sheer intensity of his own emotions.

Finishing his bath and the washing of his clothing, Levi climbed out of the water and wrapped the towel around his midriff. The towel was loose enough that it exposed the v of his hips and one could not help but follow the thin trail of dark hair that began at his navel with their eyes, but would be disappointed by the towel blocking the "trail."

Levi might have been unlucky to be born a short man man, but his body would be enough to seduce any woman in her right mind. The corporal's body was all smooth and lean muscle, the muscle wasn't overly defined but it was clearly visible. Levi didn't even notice women, they were all fawning fools. He also didn't notice the effect he had on them, and if he did then he simply chose to ignore it, considering it a waste of time.

Upon reaching the camp, Levi walked to his horse and searched in his bag for a change of crisp and starched clothing.

_Shirt..._

_Cravat..._

_Pants..._

A whimper filled the air, in a split second there was a dagger in Levi's hand. Turning around to face the attacker, Levi was met with nothing. His eyes scanned the forest and Levi realized the whimper had come from Eren. Annoyance flickered across his face.

_Tch, trust the boy to be noisy even in his sleep._

Levi turned back to his bag and continued searching.

_Socks..._

_Ah, underwear._

Levi slipped the briefs on and followed that with his socks, his limbs were covered in gooseflesh since the temperature had continued to drop throughout the night.

_"M-mom..."_

_Eh?_

Levi turned around once more to look at the still-sleeping boy. Eren's face was covered in a layer of sweat and he was the very image of feverish. The boy was curled up slightly in a fetal position in the sleeping bag, whimpering with fear. Levi walked towards him, leaves crunching under his feet as he moved.

_"Mom, no! I need you, please.."_ Eren was shivering and shifting around as he mumbled his heartfelt pleas, his face scrunched up in pain and fear.

Levi knelt down next to Eren and laid a hand against his forehead. It felt like Eren was on fire, but the boy was ' uncontrollably.

_"M-mom, I'm so cold..." _

Levi sighed to himself and unzipped the sleeping bag.

_Only for an hour, I'll just warm him up and catch some sleep..._

Climbing in sleepily, Levi zipped the bag closed and his eyes were closed before his head even hit the cushioned sleeping bag.

Eren felt a breath tickling the hairs on the nape of his neck, it felt warm and the soft sighs which went with each exhale were comforting.

_Mom..._

Eren leaned into the warm body, the hardness that accompanied it was surprising to him, he was expecting his mother to be softer. This didn't bother him, he chose to ignore it and basked in the wonderful feeling of being with his mother.

One of her slender arms was draped across his waist and Eren stroked her little finger. He had missed his mom so much, but why?

Eren felt his eyes close and he allowed them to, he felt safe.

Levi heard the impatient stomping of hooves and a snort, he felt something tickling his nose and he jerked awake.

_Hair?_

He was disorientated at the tight space he was in as well as the heat. The mishaps of the previous night came crashing back and he hurriedly scrambled out of the sleeping bag he had been sharing... _With Eren._

Levi cursed as he realized he had overslept and that it was past dawn. He usually set himself a strict internal alarm clock, but tonight he simply did not wake up.

The dark-haired man stood and stretched his arms in the morning air. Levi had to admit, that it had been the best night of sleep he had gotten in a while.

Levi realized he needed to clean the horses and manage the disorderly camp. The fire he had lit hastily the previous night was simply a pile of smoldering ashes and the horses were covered in mud as well as goosegrass seeds.

The corporal pulled his hair back with a bandana and rolled up his sleeves, Levi allowed himself a small, grim smile before he got to work.


End file.
